This was an evening of soulful music, rousing poetry and stirring narrative, provided by performance poet Rafeef Ziadah and singer-songwriter Phil Monsour, as part of their 3-week tour of Europe. We enjoyed great company, solidarity, and Palestinian snacks too!

At this event, we had a video link-up with an original survivor from Al-Falujah village in Palestine, who is now living in Gaza. His grandson, Emad was present, and was in conversation with him at the event. He told us about his experience in early 1949, when his village was terrorised and had to be evacuated.

This was the forth and final event in the series of events on ‘Talking About Peace in Palestine’, Kindly sponsored by the Amiel Trust.

There was a large turnout, occupying all three floors of the Museum and Centre, and we had a very informative talk, followed by a Q&A session, which included a live link-up with Gaza for a short time.

See below for video links of his pre-talk interview and his 45 minute talk

Prof Pappe is an Israeli historian, socialist activist and professor at the University of Exeter. Also the author of many authoritative texts on the Israel / Palestine situation, including ‘The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine’ and ‘The Forgotten Palestinians: A history of Palestinians in Israel’.

26th September 2015

Easton Cowgirls

Bristol Women’s Football Team Goes to West Bank.

The third of a series of events on ‘Talking About Peace in Palestine’.Easton Cowgirls Sports and Social Club. Easton Cowgirls are a women’s football team based in Easton, Bristol. They went to visit Palestine last October and came back with first hand experience of the West Bank illegal occupation and apartheid. Their film was shown, with discussion and Q&A with members of the team afterwards.

18th July 2015:

Guest speaker: Avigail Abarbanel

Peace activist and editor of ‘Beyond Tribal Loyalty’.

The Second in a Series of four events on ‘Talking about Peace in Palestine’.

Avigail spoke about the past, the present and the future of Palestine. Avigail Abarbanel is an amazing person who stands up for humanity. Check the link here.

(Unfortunately, we could not link up with Wafa A. Al-Udaini from Gaza on the day, because their electricity was off).

Links to the above here:

15th May 2015:

Nakba Commemoration Day

‘Never Forget the Right to Return’.

The first of a series of four events on the subject of ‘Talking About Peace in Palestine’

‘The roots of the Israel/Palestine conflict began in 1948 with the Palestinian exodus, known as the Nakba (Arabic for “disaster” or “catastrophe”). More than 700,000 Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled from their homes (around 80 percent of the Arab inhabitants of what became Israel). Hundreds were massacred by the militias of the newly-created State of Israel. Until this original injustice is recognised and the past acknowledged, there will be no peace in Israel/Palestine.

Commemorating the Nakba with an activity; replacing the more than 400 destroyed Palestinian villages on a map.

Speaker was: Dr Hisham Ihshaish, Palestinian, Senior Lecturer at UWE.

(This was a joint event, organised by Bristol Jews for Justice for Palestinians and the Palestine Museum & Cultural Centre).

9th April:

Deir Yessin Memorial evening

Commemorating the day in 1947, when the first village in Palestine was destroyed by the Israeli forces. Skype link with one of the survivors of that tragedy.

10th April:

Three Palestinian guest speakers

On tour, visiting the UK for the first time. Sharing their experiences of life in Occupied Palestinian Territories. Organised by Frome Friends of Palestine.

2014

20th November

Hakya Dancing for Palestine

(Film Screening and Q&A with director). A short documentary about a unique cultural exchange. Filmed in Wiltshire, Bath and Bristol.

DVDs of this film are on sale at the Museum Centre.

14th November

‘What Hope Peace?’

A film by Kerry-Ann Mendosa. Tells the story of the Israel, and the Palestine we never see. Filmed in Israel and Gaza during the height of Operation Protective Edge.